Abstract
Objective
To observe the effect of radiotherapy (RT) combined with ginseng polysaccharide (GSP) injection in treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its influence on immune function.
Methods
One hundred and thirty-one patients of NPC were randomly divided into two groups, the RTGSP group (n=64) treated with RT and GSP, and the control group (n=67) treated with conventional radiotherapy, to observe the local cancer remission rate, 1-year total survival rate, no tumor survival rate and no remote metastasis survival rate. Moreover, the changes of T-lymphocyte subsets, natural killer cell (NK) activity and lymphokine-activated killer cell (LAK) activity before and after treatment were determined.
Results
Clinical examination conducted 3 months after treatment showed that the complete remission rate in the RT-GSP group was 96.6%, and in the control group 93.3%, the complete remission rate of cervical lymph node metastasis in the two groups was 85. 7% and 78. 0%, the NPC remission rate shown by CT 60.3% and 51.7%, respectively. Re-examination carried out 1 year after treatment showed that the total survival rate in the two groups was 100% and 96. 5%, tumor free survival rate 84.4% and 74.6%, and no remote metastasis survival rate 93. 8% and 88.1% respectively. The activity of NK cell and LAK cell as well as T3, T4 value in peripheral blood increased significantly in the RT-GSP group (allP<0.05) after treatment, while with the control group, no significant influence on NK and LAK activities were shown but significant lowering of T3, T4 was,P<0.05. No toxic-adverse reaction of GSP was found.
Conclusion
GSP has certain immune function improving effect in NPC patients during RT, and it could also eliminate the occurred adverse reaction to RT and improve the general condition of patients.
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Xie, Fy., Zeng, Zf., Huang, Hy. et al. Clinical observation on nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with combined therapy of radiotherapy and ginseng polysaccharide injection. CJIM 7, 273–276 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02934369
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02934369